I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9324 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize certain heath care 

professionals employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs to deliver, 

distribute, or dispense to veterans certain controlled medications via 

telemedicine under certain conditions, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 6, 2024 

Mr. WOMACK (for himself and Mr. BISHOP of Georgia) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize certain 

heath care professionals employed by the Department 

of Veterans Affairs to deliver, distribute, or dispense 

to veterans certain controlled medications via telemedicine under certain conditions, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Veteran Ac5 cess to Telemedicine Services Act of 2024’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DELIVERY, DISTRIBUTION, AND DISPENSATION OF 

2 CONTROLLED MEDICATIONS BY COVERED 

3 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 

4 HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS VIA TELE5 MEDICINE. 

6 Subchapter III of chapter 17 of title 38, United 

7 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol8 lowing new section (and conforming the table of sections 

9 at the beginning of such chapter accordingly): 

10 ‘‘§ 1730D. Delivery, distribution, and dispensation of 

11 controlled medications via telemedicine 

12 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Pursuant to section 1730C of 

13 this title and subject to the requirements of title III of 

14 the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.), 

15 a covered health care professional may use telemedicine 

16 to deliver, distribute, or dispense to a patient eligible to 

17 receive medical treatment under this chapter a controlled 

18 substance that is a prescription drug as determined under 

19 the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 301 

20 et seq.) regardless of whether such covered health care 

21 professional has conducted an in-person medical examina22 tion of such patient if— 

23 ‘‘(1) such covered health care professional is— 

24 ‘‘(A) authorized to prescribe the basic class 

25 of such controlled substance under an active, 


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1 current, full, and unrestricted State license, 

2 registration, or certification; and 

3 ‘‘(B) acting in the usual course of profes4 sional practice; and 

5 ‘‘(2) such substance is delivered, distributed, or 

6 dispensed for a legitimate medical purpose. 

7 ‘‘(b) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall establish in 

8 regulations guidelines and a process for the delivery, dis9 tribution, and dispensation of a controlled substance pur10 suant to subsection (a). 

11 ‘‘(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec12 tion may be construed to remove, limit, or otherwise affect 

13 any obligation of a covered health care professional under 

14 the Controlled Substances Act. 

15 ‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.— In this section: 

16 ‘‘(1) The terms ‘controlled substance’, ‘deliver’, 

17 ‘dispense’, and ‘distribute’ have the meanings given 

18 such terms in section 102 of the Controlled Sub19 stances Act, respectively. 

20 ‘‘(2) The term ‘covered health care professional’ 

21 means— 

22 ‘‘(A) a health care professional who— 

23 ‘‘(i) is an employee of the Department 

24 appointed under section 7306, 7401, 7405, 

25 7406, or 7408 of this title or under title 5; 


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1 ‘‘(ii) is not a contractor of the De2 partment; 

3 ‘‘(iii) is authorized by the Secretary to 

4 provide health care under this chapter; 

5 ‘‘(iv) is required to adhere to all 

6 standards for quality relating to the provi7 sion of health care in accordance with ap8 plicable policies of the Department; 

9 ‘‘(v) has an active, current, full, and 

10 unrestricted license, registration, or certifi11 cation or meets qualification standards set 

12 forth by the Secretary within a specified 

13 time frame; and 

14 ‘‘(vi) with respect to a health care 

15 profession listed under section 7402(b) of 

16 this title, has the qualifications for such 

17 profession as set forth by the Secretary; 

18 and 

19 ‘‘(B) a health professions trainee who— 

20 ‘‘(i) is appointed under section 7405 

21 of this title; and 

22 ‘‘(ii) is under the clinical supervision 

23 of a health care professional described in 

24 subparagraph (A).’’. 

Æ 


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